1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to drop-prevention apparatuses and more particularly to a drop-prevention apparatus for products dispensed from a roll.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lanyards, tethers, hooks, and similar restraints are used to prevent accidental dropping of tools. These restraints are particularly useful for workers at height and in environments where a tool drop can cause substantial damage or harm to plant equipment, to workers, or to objects below a worker who accidentally drops a tool.
One method of tethering a tool includes clipping one end of a tether to an opening in the handle of a tool (e.g., an adjustable wrench) and to clip the other end of the tether to the worker's belt or to a nearby structure. When workers properly tether a tool in this way, accidental drops can be eliminated or greatly reduced.
For materials and supplies used to perform work, however, a lanyard or holding apparatus for tools is useful only in some situations. Attempts have been made to hold rolls of work material, such as duct tape and drywall joint tape. In one approach for a roll of duct tape, a length of soft nylon webbing with a snap hook on each end is used to tether the duct tape. One of the snap hooks is looped through the opening of the tape roll and clipped to the webbing just above the tape roll to form a closed loop that secures the tape roll. The snap hook at the opposite end of the nylon webbing is similarly clipped around a structure. When used in this way, the nylon webbing grips the tape roll by making contact with the sides of the tape roll and with the inner and outer surfaces. The nylon webbing contacts the sides of the tape roll even when the webbing is a loose loop through the tape roll.
Another approach for rolled products is a holder with a metal frame as is used for dispensing drywall joint tape. The holder has a vertical main section with a first end portion and a second end portion each extending horizontally from the main section. One end of a cylinder is attached to the middle of the main section with the cylinder extending horizontally from the main section in the same general direction as the first and second end portions and defining an E shape. A roll of drywall tape is installed on the holder with the cylinder extending through the opening of the tape roll. A holder wire or bar is then connected between the first and second end portions. The holder wire extends in contact with the second end of the cylinder, thereby maintaining the drywall tape roll on the cylinder. A clip on the main section is used to clip the holder to the user's belt or waistband with the vertical main section extending downward along the side of the user's leg. The tape roll freely rotates about the cylinder to dispense the tape.